Georgia Southwestern music educator in running for national Grammy recognition
Mark Laughlin a quarterfinalist for 5th annual Music Educator Award
Staff Reports
AMERICUS – A Georgia Southwestern State University associate professor of music has made the quarterfinalist list for the 5th annual Music Educator Award.
GSW Jazz Band Director Mark Laughlin was named a quarterfinalist for the third time. The selections were recently announced by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum.
A total of 197 music teachers from 187 cities across 45 states plus Washington, D.C., were announced as quarterfinalists. More than 2,300 nominations were submitted from 50 states. A top 10 will be selected, and then a national winner.
Grammy officials say the winner will attend the 60th annual Grammy Awards in early 2018, where he or she will receive the Music Educator Award at a ceremony during Grammy Week, along with a $10,000 personal honorarium. Each of the 10 finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, with their schools receiving matching grants. Semifinalists each will receive a $500 honorarium.
Laughlin said last week he was honored to be up for consideration.
“It is a great honor to have been selected as a quarterfinalist for the 2018 Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum,” Laughlin said. “To be one of 197 quarterfinalists selected out of 2,300 initial nominations from all 50 states, is amazing.”
In addition to his role as a music educator at Georgia Southwestern, Laughlin is seen frequently leading the GSW Jazz Band in the region. As a jazz pianist, he has performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia including performances in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Laughlin holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of North Alabama, a master’s degree from the University of Memphis and doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina.
The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools.
Information on the program can be found at grammyintheschools.com/programs/grammy-music-educator-award.
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